Life-changer in the outdoors: find the ‘sweet spot’

On cross-country skis, Jenn Carr ventures on the moraines at the foot of Avalanche Gulch at Mount Shasta in Northern California

Photo: Chris Carr / Special to The Chronicle

We were cross-country skiing last week across 2 inches of fresh snow atop packed powder in a national forest. As we propelled forward, my wife noted how it felt effortless and euphoric.

It hit us how one small change in the outdoors can be a life-changer for anybody. No matter your sport of choice, the goal is to find a sweet spot where it feels effortless in the moment. In turn, the endorphins kick in through your physical activity, and a sense of euphoria rises through you.

Road cycling: The ergonomics of your bike need to be perfect. That accomplished, you will find a sweet spot, often around 15-18 mph on the flat, 4-5 up a steep hill, when your pedal strokes feel like an effortless circle. You get in rhythm and the magic happens. You have found the sweet spot.

Surfing: The reality on a surfboard was a shocker for me, I discovered during three lessons. The goal is to position the board at the curving base of the wave, where the power of the water propels you forward. You’ll find a sweet spot on the board that feels like a pocket. It is both electric and euphoric.

Cross-country skiing: The surface conditions need to be right. With that done, you propel yourself forward with a sense of effortless joy. If the surface is too soft, punched with snowshoe holes or iced over, it becomes technical, not rhythmic, and the sweet spot is lost.

Fishing: When your tackle is matched and rigged right, the casts and retrieves are effortless perfection. In the process, you develop a connection with the fish, where you sense every nuance of each bite. You have found the sweet spot.

Downhill skiing: The key is simple: Learn how to turn. You weight the inside ski, unweight the outside ski, visualize the turn and then execute. You find the sweet spot by getting your weight over your skis, control your speed by angle of descent, and sail down at the speed that is just right.

Just about every outdoors sport has sweet spot. Find it and it’s the biggest life-changer in the outdoors.

Tom Stienstra is the outdoors writer for the San Francisco Chronicle. He is America’s first Back Country Sportsman of the Year and the only two-time National Outdoor Writer of the year. In 2008, he won first place for best outdoors column in America. As a photographer with The Chronicle, he won first place in America for best outdoors feature image in 2011. That year he was also awarded as Far West Ski Writer of the Year. His books have sold more than 1 million copies. His first novel, "The Sweet Redemption, An Inspector Korg Mystery," was released for 2013. His television show on CBS/CW won first place as America’s best outdoor recreation show, and his radio show on CBS won first place in 2010 for best environmental feature show in America. Tom has hiked 25,000 miles, caught world-record fish, led dozens of expeditions and taken part in all phases of the outdoor experience. He was the fourth living member inducted into the California Outdoors Hall of Fame.